Brian Freeman - The Cold Nowhere

‘How’s Cat?’ Brooke asked. ‘Is she okay?’

‘She’s with the cops. She’s safe for now.’

Dory fidgeted as they heard a burble of voices from the restaurant behind them. A gang of teenagers rode skateboards back and forth in front of Amazing Grace, and she squinted at them as the rolling wheels shunted and banged.

‘Across the street,’ Dory said. ‘Is that a man in the alley?’

Brooke studied the shadows. ‘I don’t see anyone. Dory, what’s wrong?’

‘Margot Huizenfelt disappeared,’ Dory said. ‘I think I’m next.’

‘Next? What are you talking about? What does Margot have to do with you?’

‘Margot was trying to find Cat when someone grabbed her. The police think there’s a connection.’

‘What kind of connection? What is this about?’

‘I don’t know, but two people are dead, and Cat barely got away alive. He’s going to come after me, too. I know he is. I’m being punished.’

‘Punished? Come on, that’s crazy. Why do you think that?’

Dory turned, and in the strange shadows of the car Brooke felt as if she could see through Dory’s skin to her skull. ‘I did a terrible thing back then,’ her friend said. ‘We both know that. It’s like a curse. I can’t escape it.’

Brooke felt a chill. Dory looked like the devil, staring at her. Her eyes were almost red. ‘What are you talking about?’

‘You know what I did. Remember?’

Brooke closed her eyes in frustration. ‘Dory, that was ten years ago. We were kids. We all made mistakes. If I could go back and start over, don’t you think I’d change my life, too?’

‘It’s not the same.’

‘Yes, it is. You can’t keep torturing yourself. Whatever’s going on now, it has nothing to do with you. Let it go. Please. Just get yourself some help, sweetheart, before it’s too late.’

‘I can’t keep the secret anymore. It’s like this weight on my chest.’ Dory leaned forward, clutching the dashboard. ‘There’s a man in that alley. I see him.’

‘It’s your imagination,’ Brooke told her. ‘There’s no one there.’

‘No, he’s watching us. I know it. He’s coming for me.’

‘Dory, listen to me. You’re in bad shape. We both know it. If you want to make up for what you did, turn your life around and get healthy. It won’t change anything to start living in the past. You and I are the only people who know what happened back then. Leave it at that.’

Dory shook her head. ‘Someone else knows.’

‘You said you never told anyone.’

‘I needed to get it off my chest. I thought it wouldn’t matter anymore.’

‘Dory, you didn’t tell Cat, did you?’ Brooke asked.

‘Cat? No, it would kill her to know. I never wanted her to find out.’

‘Then who?’

Dory pushed open the car door. Her eyes were fixated on the alley. She was ready to run.

‘Margot,’ Dory said. ‘I told Margot what I did. Don’t you see? It can’t be a coincidence. This is my fault. Right after I told her, she disappeared.’

‘Nice place,’ Serena said, as Stride turned on the light in his office. She eyed the half-dozen moving boxes scattered on the floor. ‘One of these days maybe you’ll unpack and stay a while.’

‘Someday.’ He reached for a folder on his desk and flinched in pain.

‘Does your shoulder hurt?’ she asked.

‘Yeah.’

‘Next time, duck,’ she said, smiling.

‘Thanks.’

Serena picked up the photo of Cindy on his credenza. The picture was the only personal item she saw in his office. She studied Cindy’s face, noticing the flirty confidence in her eyes and smile. Stride’s first wife was cute, but not anyone’s idea of beautiful. She had straight dark hair, parted in the middle, and a sharp little V-nose. It was her attitude that made her attractive. Always teasing. Always full of life.

Serena had never met Cindy. She’d been dead for years when Serena first arrived in Duluth. Had they met, she thought that she would have liked Cindy, so it was strange how jealous she felt of her. She’d always imagined that she was competing with Cindy for Stride’s heart.

She noticed him watching her. He didn’t say anything.

‘I’m going to the ladies room,’ she told him.

‘Okay. I have what I need. We can go back to the Point.’

‘Thanks.’

‘You want to hang around before you head home? I could use a drink.’

‘Maybe I will.’

Serena went into the dark hallway of the police headquarters. She saw a sign for the restroom, and she went inside and stood in front of the wide mirror. Her face was dirty from the rain and road spray at the highway site so she ran hot water and washed her skin, removing her makeup at the same time. Her natural face stared back at her. She ran a long nail over the age lines that had crept beside her mouth.

As she stood by the mirror, the bathroom door opened. In the reflection, she saw Maggie Bei.

The small Chinese cop stopped in awkward surprise as she spotted Serena. She reached for the door to leave, but then she shrugged and let it swing shut behind her. She came up to the mirror, standing in front of the twin sink. She washed her hands without looking up at the glass.

‘Hi,’ Maggie said.

‘Hi,’ Serena replied.

Maggie turned off the water and flicked her hands into the bowl. She took a paper towel and dried them. ‘I figured you’d be coming to town. You working with Stride?’

‘Yeah.’

‘Good.’ Maggie worked her mouth as if she were chewing gum. She gestured with her thumb at the bathroom door. ‘So do I need my gun?’

‘If I were going to kill you, I’d use my bare hands,’ Serena said.

‘Nice. Okay.’

‘If you have things to do in here, don’t let me stop you.’

‘Actually, things just sort of squeezed shut on me. Weird.’

‘Yeah, weird,’ Serena said.

They stood next to each other in silence. One of them had to leave, but neither one did. Maggie played with her bangs. Serena bent forward toward the mirror and smoothed her eyebrows.

‘Black hair again, I see,’ Serena said.

‘Uh huh.’

‘I didn’t tell you, but the red was awful.’

‘Thanks.’

‘So you and Jonny went nowhere. Gee, that’s too bad.’

‘I guess sticking the pins in the Maggie doll worked.’

‘I guess.’

‘Do you want to slap me or something?’ Maggie asked. ‘Would that make you feel better?’

‘If it would, I’d have already done it.’

‘Right. Sure. Mind if I tell you something?’

‘Go ahead.’

‘Fuck off, Serena.’

Serena straightened up. ‘Well, that’s mature.’

‘Hey, if you want to torture me, go ahead. I don’t care. I already told you that I never meant for anything to happen with Stride, but it happened. I can’t change that. I get it that you can forgive him, not me. I don’t expect us to be best friends again.’

‘Good.’

‘Just don’t expect me to walk away. I’m his friend. I’m his partner. I’ve known him longer than you have. I’m not going anywhere.’

‘Yeah, I always know where I can find you, Maggie. Right next to Jonny.’

‘If you think I’d let anything happen between us again, you’re crazy.’

‘Said the spider to the fly.’

‘I mean it.’

‘I know you do, and if you think I believe you, you’re crazy.’

Maggie grabbed the door and opened it halfway. ‘This is getting us nowhere. You know what’s too bad? I still like you, Serena. I hope someday we’ll be able to get past this.’

Serena said nothing.

‘One thing,’ Maggie went on. ‘If you’re working with Stride, do me a favor. Watch his back.’